Week 11 vs. Chicago
Sterling Shepard found the end zone against the Bengals last week, putting up 42 yards and touchdown on five receptions. After a four game lull in scoring, Shepard now has touchdowns in two consecutive games and has been targeted at least six times in every game but one this season.
This week, Shepard will face a Bears pass defense that has been better than expected, considering Chicago’s 2-7 record. They rank in the top-15 in both passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed and may make it hard for the Giants to provide more than one solid fantasy WR this week. Shepard has some potential as an active part of the offense, but we see him as a low-end WR3 in most leagues.
Week 10 vs. Cincinnati
Sterling Shepard only had three catches for 50 yards last week against the Eagles, but he also had his first touchdown since Week 3. He only has one game this year with over 100 yards receiving, but he’s been targeted at least six times in every game except his first one and should remain an active part of the New York passing attack.
This week, Shepard has some upside against a Bengals defense that ranks 21st in the league passing yards allowed per game and has injury and inconsistency issues in the secondary. Shepard is a risky option because of his lack of production over the four games prior to last week, but he has some low-end WR3 upside in a nice matchup and coming off a good game.
Week 9 vs. Philadelphia
Sterling Shepard had five catches against the Rams in London before the bye last week, but he only ended up with 32 yards and hasn’t had a good game since Week 3 of the season. Shepard may have a bright future ahead of him, but it’s risky to bank on him this week against a tough Eagles defense that is allowing only 214 passing yards per game, fifth in the league. He should be considered a nice stash option in most leagues, but is too risky to have in your lineup this week.
Week 7 vs. Los Angeles
Sterling Shepard only had 25 yards on four receptions last week against the Ravens, although he was targeted eight times – second most on the team. Shepard has been uneven as a fantasy option throughout his rookie season, but he has been targeted at least seven times in all but one game so far this year and should be considered a quality bench option in most leagues.
This week, he’s a risky start against the Rams, who were a little above average against the pass before allowing four touchdowns to Matthew Stafford last week. I’d look elsewhere in most leagues, rather than count on Shepard to produce against the Rams in London.
Week 6 vs. Baltimore
Sterling Shepard was disappointing last week going up against a banged up Green Bay secondary. He only caught two of the seven balls thrown his way for 14 yards. Shepard should have better games than that, but it’s concerning that he struggles so much in a game where the Giants needed to throw the ball and the opposing secondary wasn’t great.
Shepard will face a Baltimore defense that has been good at limiting passing yards, but ranks in the bottom third of the league in touchdowns allowed this season with nine. Shepard is a risky option because of the struggles of Eli Manning, but he remains a low-end WR3 option in most leagues.
Week 5 at Green Bay
Sterling Shepard has had a nice start to his career, but struggled a bit against a tough Minnesota defense last week. He wound up with only 30 yards on four catches, though he was targeted seven times and still ranks second on the team behind Odell Beckham Jr. with 20 catches and 263 yards on the season.
Shepard has a nice matchup against the Packers this week. Green Bay ranks 29th in the league in passing yards allowed and should give up a lot of real estate to the Giants’ passing attack. We have Shepard as a viable WR2 option in all league formats, as the game could easily turn into a shootout.
Week 4 at Minnesota
Sterling Shepard has been solid through the first few weeks of his career. He’s second on the team in targets, averaging 6.3 per game, and he caught five passes for 73 yards and a touchdown last week against Washington. Shepard has now scored in two out of three games and has caught an impressive 84% of the balls thrown his way.
This week, he’s a risky bet against the Vikings. Only the Eagles and the Seahawks have allowed fewer points per game to opposing teams this year, and Shepard remains the secondary passing option to Odell Beckham Jr. He should still be considered a borderline WR2/WR3 in most leagues, but temper your expectations in this matchup.
Week 3 vs. Washington
Sterling Shepard had a nice game against the Saints, catching all eight of the balls thrown his way for 117 yards. He looks like he can line up in multiple spots on the field and doesn’t seem to be hampered by the targets that Victor Cruz is getting as well, even though they have a somewhat duplicate skill set.
Shepard has a chance to do well against Washington. The Steelers lit up the Washington defense in Week 1, and Washington struggled against Dak Prescott on Sunday. Plus, with Josh Norman likely focusing on Odell Beckham Jr. for most of the day, Shepard should be open a fair amount. Because he’s a rookie and there are three solid options in the New York passing game, I wouldn’t trust him as more than a low-end WR3, but he has upside and could be in for a nice matchup if you’re in a deep league.
Week 2 vs. New Orleans
Sterling Shepard had a nice start to his rookie season with three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown in a win against the Cowboys. Most encouraging however, was that he was on the field for 95 percent of the offensive snaps, meaning he’s likely to remain a large part of the offense. It seems like the Giants will run a three-WR set most of the time, like the Packers do, and Shepard lines up outside with Victor Cruz in the slot.
This week, Shepard gets to play against the Saints, who gave up 319 yards and a touchdown to the Raiders’ passing game last week, including seven catches to Michael Crabtree, Oakland’s WR2. Shepard will still be sharing looks with Cruz, and will always at least be secondary to Odell Beckham Jr., but with such a great matchup, he has WR3 potential in most leagues.
Week 1 at Dallas
Rookie second-round pick Sterling Shepard had 11 touchdowns last year at Oklahoma and was known for his route-running and great hands. The Giants are hoping he can bring that talent to the NFL and become a stead producer opposite Odell Beckham Jr. after injuries and inconsistency have plagued their WR corps the last couple of years, forcing defenses to key in solely on Beckham.
While Shepard has a lot of upside and should be on a roster in most leagues, if you can look elsewhere, this might not be the best week to try him out in your lineup. The number of targets he’ll get is still unproven at this point, and the Cowboys were a top five pass defense a year ago. We have him ranked just inside our top-40 this week, making him a low-end WR3 in large leagues.
